Feed-mixing machine.



W. D. NASH.

FEED MIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5} 1913.

3 SHEBTSSHEET l.

Elvwwmtoz awe (mugs Wiimeooeo N THE NORRIS PETERS Ca. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c

w. 0. NASH.

FEED MIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. 1913.

1 1 34,220, Patented Apr. 6, 1915,

3 SHEETSSHBET 2.

dzwz

Patented Apr. 6, 1915 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

avweuto'o M Aw;

61 mugs W. D. NASH.

FEED MIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. 1913.

HE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHKL. WASHINGTON D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER I). NASH, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO ATLANTA UTILITY WORKS, OF EAST. POINT, GEORGIA, A CORPORATION OF GEORGIA.

FEED-MIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER D. NASH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Atlanta, county of Fulton, and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Mixing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mixing machines and more particularly to machines adapted to mix feed materials.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character adapted to mix several different materials in any desired proportion.

Other objects and the features of novelty will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with certain parts broken away to show other parts; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig. 41 is a section on the line 47-4: of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings A indicates a mixing bin formed with the end plates 10 and 11, the side boards 12 and 13 and the flexible metal bottom sheet 1A, the latter being of semi-cylindrical form, and secured to the boards 12, as indicated in Fig. 4. The boards 12 and 13 are preferably detachably secured to the end plates 10 and 11, as by means of bolts 12 which engage lugs 1.3 onthe end plates, and when it is desired to clean the bin one of these boards is detached from the end plates, and with one side of the sheet 14 is laid down flat, thereby exposing the whole of the interior of the bin. In replacing this board the sheet 14: is drawn up against flanges 10 on the end plates 10 and 11 and the board then fastened. The top of the bin is closed in any suitable manner, as by a sheet metal cover a, and a shaft 15 extends longitudinally through the bin and is supported in bearings 16 and 17 carried respectively by depending bracket 16 on plate 10 and the end plate 11. The end plate 10 is formed with a discharge opening and a flange or lip 10 adapted to deliver the materials into a chute or other receiving means. The shaft 15 ex tends beyond the bearing 17 a considerable distance and this extension is supported in a bearing 18 carried by a frame 19. At the end of this extension the shaft is provided with a pair of tight and loose pulleys 20 and 21 which are arranged between the bearing 18 and the retaining collar 22. The frame 19 has secured thereto a bracket 23 for the bearing 18.

The bin A is provided with an inlet opening 2A in its top adjacent the end plate 11 and the above-mentioned discharge opening in the plate 10. The shaft 15 Within the bin carries the mixing arms or paddles 26 and 27, the paddles 26 being inclined with respect to the axis of the shaft 15 in order to move the materials through the bin toward the discharge end and the paddles 27 having faces at right angles to the plane of rotation so as to lift up and throw over the materials and thereby thoroughly mix them. I prefer to arrange three of the paddles 26 directly beneath the inlet 24: in order to move the materials rapidly away from said inlet to prevent clogging. Through the main tion of the bin the paddles 26 and 27 are alternately arranged and adjacent the end plate 10 I prefer to have two of the pad dles 26 for the purpose of discharging the materials from the bin. As shown in Fig. 2, each of the paddles comprises two arms arranged on opposite sides of the shaft and having semi-cylindrical hubs adapted to be clamped together on the shaft.

I arrange above the bin A a plurality of material hoppers and in the drawings I have shown four of these hoppers, they being indicated by the letters B, C, D, and E. The hoppers are arranged in pairs, the hoppers B and D constituting one pair and C and E the other pair. Each pair of hoppers is formed by means of end plates 28 and 29 and the sloping side plates 30 and 31. The hoppers of each pair are separated by means of a partition 32 and at the bottom of each hopper is a trough 33. Arranged in the troughs 33 are the feeding screws 34:, 35, 3G and 37 which deliver the materials from the hoppers to the mixing bin.

As will be seen from Fig. 1, the screws 34: and 36 are alined respectively with the screws 85 and 37 and are of opposite pitch so as to deliver the material to the inlet 2& of the bin. The screws are of sufficient length to prevent the materials from flowing directly from the hoppers through the opening 24 when the screws are not in operation. The screws are supported at their ends by means of suitable gudgeons or bearings and are rotated by means of ratchet wheels 38 arranged exteriorly of the end plates 28.

Extending through the hoppers are shafts 39, 40, 41 and 42 which carry arms 43-adapted to agitate the materials in the hoppers and prevent the same from arching over. The shafts 39 and 40 are arranged in alinement and may be connected together by means of a coupling" 44. The shafts 41 and 42 are likewise arranged in alinement and maybe connected together by a coupling 45. The shafts 40 and 41 'carryrespectively the alined sprockets 46 and 47 whichare adaptedto receive a suitable driving chain 47 fo'r thepurpose of driving one of the shafts from the other.

The shaft 42 extends through the plate 28, of the hoppers B and D, and carries ex teriorly of this plate the sprockets 48 and 49. The sprocket 48 is driven from a sprocket 50 on the shaft 15 by means of a chain 51 and the sprocket 49 drives a sprocket 52 on an extension of the shaft 39 by means of a chain 53. This arrangement thus permits the shafts 41 and 42 to be driven at the same speed when connected together by means of the coupling 45 and the shafts 39 and 40 to be driven at a much lower speed on account of the difference in size of the sprockets 49 and 52. It will be obvious that the shafts 40 and 41 may be disconnected entirely from the shafts 39 and 42 respectively, by means of the couplings 44 and 45, to permit the use of but two of the hoppers when it is only necessary to use two hoppers. It will also be obvious that various adjustments may be made in the speed of the shafts 39, 40 and 41 by the use of the chain 47 to connect the sprockets 46 and 47. For instance, with the couplings 44 and 45 connecting the respective shafts and the chain 47 removed, shafts 39 and 40 and 41 and 42, respectively, may be driven at the samespeed or by using-the chain 47 and disconnecting the coupling 45 it is possible to drive the shafts 40 and 41 at the same speed as the shaft 39. I

The shafts 39 and 42 are provided with suitable bearings 54 in the plate 28 and in order to prevent the material in the hoppers from accumulating on these bearings the shafts areprovided with suitable wipers or scrapers 55 which are adapted to remove any material from the bearings, as the shafts rotate. The ends of the feeding screws may also beprovided with similar scrapers.

In order to operate the feeding screws I arrange loosely on the gudgeons 56, which extend through the end plates 28,.the arms 57 and 58 which are adapted to be rocked back and forth by means of suitable connecting rods 59 having their upper ends connected with crank pins 60. In the case of the operatingmeans for the screws 34and 36, the crank pins-60. are carried oii'the sprockets '48'and 52;these sprockets being provided with wrist plates 61 having a plurality of spirally arranged threaded openings 62 therein, these openings being at different distances from the center of theshaft in order to vary the rocking movement of the arms 57 and 58 by changing the diameter of the ci rcle through which the crank pins 60 rotate. The arms 57 and 58 carry pawls 63 which are adapted to engage the ratchet wheels 38 and thus give an intermittent movement to these wheels and the screws with which they are connected. Since there are two pawls associated with each ratchet by varying the speed ,of the shafts 39,'j40,

41 and 42 and by varying the position of the crank pins 60 in the wristplates and by using one or twopawls, almost any'desired' rate of movement of'the'feed screws may be effected. For operating the screw's'35 and 37 the shafts 40 and 41 carry, exteriorly of the end plate 28, plates'64 which 'are similarto the wrist plates'6l and operate the screws by mechanism similar to that above described. 7 s

The operation of "the various parts of the machine having been described it is believed that the operation of the machine as a whole will be readily understood without further description. V

It will be obviousto those skilled inthe art that various changes maybe made in the details of construction which I have shown and described, within'the scope of the claims, and therefore -I do not wish'to be limitedito these exact details.

c Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters; Patent is, r

1. In'a mixing machine, the combination of a mixing bin, a shaft extending therethrough and provided with mixing paddles adapted to move the materials through; the bin inthe direction of the shaft, a plurali't'y of material hoppers,frotary feeding devices associated with each of saidhop'persfor delivering the materials to said bin, andmeans for giving to each of said devices a Variable intermittent movement. f

2. In a mixing machine, the combination of'a mixing bin, .a rotary shaft extending adapted to move the materials through the bin in the direction of the shaft, a plurality of material hoppers, feeding screws associated with each of said hoppers for delivering materials therefrom to said bin, and means for giving to each of said screws a variable intermittent movement.

3. In a mixing machine, the combination of a mixing bin, a rotary shaft extending therethrough and provided with paddles, the faces of some of which are inclined relative to their plane of rotation whereby they are adapted to move the materials through the bin, a plurality of material hoppers arranged above said bin, feeding screws associated with each of said hoppers and adapted to deliver materials from the hoppers to said bin, means for driving said screws, and means whereby the speed of a plurality of screws may be simultaneously varied or the speed of any of the screws varied independently of the others.

4:. In a mixing machine, the combination of a mixing bin, a rotary shaft extending therethrough and provided with paddles adapted to mix the materials in the bin and move them toward a discharge opening in the bin, a plurality of material hoppers, feeding screws adapted to deliver material from the hoppers to said bin, and independently adjustable intermittently operatin variable speed driving means for sai screws.

5. In a mixing machine, the combination of a mixing bin, mixing means therein, a plurality of material hoppers arranged above said bins, means in said hoppers adapted to agitate the material therein, feeding means for delivering the materials from said hoppers to said bin, and intermittently operating variable speed driving means for said feeding means.

6. In a mixing machine, the combination of a mixing bin, a shaft extending therethrough and having arms adapted to mix the materials in the bin and move the same to a discharge outlet, a plurality of material hoppers arranged above said bin, rotary means in said hoppers adapted to agi- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the tate the materials therein, feeding screws for delivering the materials from said hoppers to said bin, and independently adjustable variable speed driving means for said screws.

7 In a mixing machine, the combination of a mixing bin, a shaft extending therethrough and having paddles arranged thereon adapted to mix the materials and move the same toward a discharge outlet, a plurality of material hoppers arranged above said bin, rotary means in said hoppers adapted to agitate the materials therein, feeding screws for delivering the materials from said hoppers to said bin, and independently adjustable intermittently operating variable speed driving means for said screws.

8. In a mixing machine, a bin comprising end members, a flexible bottom member, and means for securing said bottom member along its edges so that when a part of said securing means are removed the bottom may be bent to expose the interior of the bin.

9. In a mixing machine, a bin comprising end members with curved flanges and a flexible bottom member adapted to rest against said flanges, and means for securing said bottom member along its edges, the detaching of a part of said securing means, permitting the bottom member to bend away from said flanges to expose the interior of the bin.

10. In a mixing machine, a bin comprising end members having laterally projecting semi-cylindrical flanges a flexible bottom plate resting against said flanges, and means for securing the edges of said plate permitting the plate to spring away from said flanges to expose the interior of the bin when the securing means along one edge are removed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER D. NASH. Witnesses:

J. WAYNE MOORE, HARRY G. GREENE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

